“You’ve heard of King Arthur and the sword Excalibur?”
“Aye, everyone knows that story.”
“Merlin’s Crag is where King Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone after Merlin put it there. Merlin spent his final days in exile there. It is where I’ll find the answer.” He slapped Michael on the back.
“Answer to what, sir?”
“How to rescue my brothers and sister.”
“A pile of rocks is going to tell you?” Michael was beginning to think Lazarus was losing it, especially after what he said next.
“Not the rocks, Michael, the fairies who live there.”
Michael let out a groan. “Now yer going to tell me fairies are real! Next you’ll be telling me the leprechauns are too.”
“Aye, ye may never see em, but they’re there.”
Michael shook his head. “In all my years, I’ve never heard of such things until this past month. Is there anything else I should be knowing?”
“If I think of anything, you’ll be the first to know.” Lazarus chuckled.
“Don’t rush,” Michael replied sarcastically, “I have enough information to last a lifetime.”
“How is Erik doing?” Lazarus changed the subject and got serious.
“He ate his midday meal and has been resting peacefully. Mrs. Stewart said he could join us in the dining room for the evening meal.”
“That’s good news. Has Aria come down to the library?”
“She did, but when she saw you weren’t here, she went up to the sewing room.”
“Good. She needs a distraction. I haven’t decided yet whether or not she’s trustworthy.”
“After all she’s said and done?”
“Aye, Michael. She sounds sincere enough, but I’ll not be blinded by it. It’s a fool’s game we could be playing.” Michael shook his head in disbelief. “What? You think I should let my guard down.”
“Nay, you’re right, it’s better to err on the side of caution. I hope the lass proves to be true of heart. I’ll be saddened if she’s been deceiving us. My feelings have softened a wee bit towards her, she’s not had an easy time of life, either.”
“Her life has been harder than most, I’ll grant her that, but I’m not prepared to take the risk. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to change for dinner.” Lazarus left the library and retired to his chambers. He thought about what he said to Mr. MacGregor about Aria. He shouldn’t have said anything at all and kept his doubts to himself. He made his daily entries on his computer and sent them off. After a long shower, he dressed for dinner and went to the sitting room for a drink. Just as he was about to enter the sitting room, he saw Aria on Erik’s arm, she was helping him navigate the stairs to the first floor.
“Erik, it’s good to see you well enough to join us.”
“I would have joined you sooner, but Mrs. Stewart refused to let me get out of bed. She said I wasn’t ready.” Aria and Erik finally made it to the bottom step. “I’m afraid I gave her a hard time. I owe her an apology, she was right. Just coming this far has me worn out.”
“Come into the sitting room, maybe a brandy will help revive your energy.”
“Thank you, I could use one.” Aria guided Erik to one of the comfy chairs by the fire.
“Aria, would you like one as well?” Lazarus asked as he poured the rich golden liquid into a couple of snifters, he looked her way.
“Yes, thank you.” He handed them each a drink and poured another for himself. He sat across from Erik, while Aria tucked her feet under her and got comfortable on the floor next to the fire.
“I was hoping you would be well enough to go with us back to the island.”
“Give me a day, I’ll be ready.”
“Only a day? I’ll give you two. There are still some preparations to be made.”
“Two days, I should be back to my young self,” Erik laughed, “right now, I feel kind of old.”
“Good, it will give Aria more time to get her strength back as well.”
“Aria?” Erik balked. “She can’t go. It’s no place for a girl.”
“Excuse me! I have more right to go back there than you. That man stole seventeen years of my life and I plan to blow him and that bloody place to hell.” Aria fumed. “I’m going, no matter what, whether you like it or not.”
Erik was speechless, he didn’t know how to reply.
“Relax Aria.” Lazarus got her to settle down. “Erik, Aria has been instrumental in showing me the layout of the island. She has also spent a lot of time and effort setting explosives around the island. If the explosives are still where she put them, she’ll set them off as soon as we are clear of the island.”
“I don’t like it.”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go,” Lazarus told him, “it’s that simple.”
“Fine, I just think we’ll have enough to do without adding more.”
“Once we get to the island, Aria is on her own. She and I have already discussed this.”
“What do you mean by on her own?” Erik didn’t like the sound of that.
“When we get there, I will drop her off. If her explosives are in-tact, she’ll set the timers and meet you on the far side of the island.” Lazarus explained.
“What if she isn’t there? What if she blows herself up?”
“You leave without her. She’s aware of the risks.”
Erik shook his head. “I still don’t like it.”
“That’s too damn bad, isn’t it!” Aria didn’t care to discuss it further. “Lazarus, how are you going to deal with the magic?”
“I have to take a short trip. If I’m lucky, I’ll have some answers on how to deal with it and return soon.”
“A trip? Where to?” she asked.
“Aye, to Almscliff Craig.”
“I’ve heard of that place, it’s supposed to be haunted by Merlin. Is it?”
Lazarus laughed. “It might be, I’ll let you know.” He gave her a wink. Mr. MacGregor came into the room to let them know dinner was ready.
Chapter 24
During the evening meal, the three of them talked about the island. Lazarus grilled Aria about MacDonald and Manfred Leifsson. “You say you have seen Gilbert’s dragon.”
“It was the last night I planted explosives. I was on the far side of the island. Apparently, he didn’t want anyone near the longhouse to see him.”
“Did you see him fly?”
“Yes and no. It was odd. He looked like he was trying but couldn’t. At one point, he succeeded, but then he crashed to the ground. He was furious.”
“Interesting. I’ve seen that kind of behavior only once, hundreds of years ago. A dragon shifter had been poisoned with liquid silver. He could shift, but then couldn’t hold it, he would instantly shift back. He could never hold it long enough to get off the ground. Apparently, my enemy has gotten himself poisoned.” Lazarus thought about this new information.
“Excuse me, sir,” Mr. MacGregor interrupted, “if he’s been poisoned, couldn’t he use one of the dragons he has imprisoned for a transfusion?”
“Yes, Michael, he could.” Lazarus continued to contemplate the various reasons why MacDonald hadn’t done exactly that. Aria and Erik gave them a questioning look.
“What is he talking about?” Erik asked.
“If a dragon shifter is poisoned with liquid silver, the only way to save him is a blood transfusion from another dragon.” No one spoke for some time.
“Maybe he doesn’t know he’s been poisoned.” Aria blurted out. Lazarus stared at Aria like he’d never seen her before. “It could happen, couldn’t it?”
“I suppose,” Lazarus thought about it. “Maybe his friendly wizard isn’t so friendly.”
“Couldn’t he have been shot, back in the day?” Michael asked.
“He could have, but he would have died long before this. No, either he doesn’t know what is wrong, or he does and doesn’t know how to fix it.”
“I would think it was
common knowledge amongst dragon people,” Aria added.
“When Gilbert MacDonald was young, he cared little about anything but money and women.” Lazarus told them. “He spent all his time whoring and being drunk. He probably never learned the basics of dragon survival.”
“Wouldn’t that be to our advantage?”
“Yes and no. In some ways, it makes him more dangerous. If he knows he can’t fly to get away, he could kill all his prisoners, including my brothers and sister. You said there were four other dragons?
“Yes, and I believe there are more on islands further north.”
“Let’s concentrate on the one’s on Rona for now. Can they shift?”
“They are all kept in silver shackles. None of them have been allowed to shift for years.”
“It means they can shift but will not have enough strength to fly from the island to here. This changes things. I have spent centuries believing I was the last of my kind, I won’t risk anything happening to them. We will have to coordinate very carefully. We need a plan and we need to work together. Let’s not forget, we also have Gunnar on the island.”
“If he’s still alive.” Erik added.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Gunnar can take care of himself.”
“What about the men who are being held as prisoners,” she reminded him.
“If we were to release them, who’s side would they be on”
“Ours. They hate MacDonald. He put them there because they went against him.”
“Those men are half dead,” Erik told him, “I’ve seen them. Some may even be dead already.”
“Then some of them are still half alive and deserve to be freed. We won’t leave anyone behind if we can help it. Aria, you said they were in chains, can you release them?”
“MacDonald has the keys.”
“Alright, I’ll think of something. I will be leaving tonight for Almscliff Crag. If all goes well and I find what I’m looking for, I should be back in a day or two. I want the two of you to get as much rest as possible. Once we leave here, there will be no rest for anyone until we return.”
“It will take hours to drive to Almscliff, not to mention several hours of hiking.”
“Not a problem, Michael, you weren’t listening. Gilbert MacDonald can’t fly, it means I can.”
“What if someone else sees you?” Aria asked.
“I’m leaving after dark. Once I shift behind the castle walls, I will cloak my dragon, no one will see me. Only another dragon can see a cloaked dragon and if MacDonald can’t fly, the threat is gone.”
“Unless he miraculously recovers suddenly. Lazarus, can I go with you.” Aria looked his way.
“No, I want you to rest. This is something I must do alone.”
“I could watch your back!”
Lazarus shook his head. “Sorry, you will stay here and be ready to go when I return. Is that understood?” He was losing his patience.
“Just what, exactly, are you going to look for?” Erik asked.
“Merlin’s ghost.” It didn’t matter whether he said Merlin’s ghost or the fairies, the reaction would be the same.
“I must be overly tired, I thought you said Merlin’s ghost.”
“I did, and you are. I think you should call it a night, Erik. Do you need help to get back to your room?”
“I’ll help him,” Aria volunteered, “I’m sure you have things to do. Will you at least let me know when you are ready to leave.”
“Yes, I’ll let you know and thank you for assisting Erik.” Aria and Erik said good night and left the dining room.
“Are you going to have a brandy in the sitting room?”
“Not tonight, Michael. I will be leaving shortly. I know I can depend on you to handle things here.”
“Yes sir, as always. I don’t imagine you’ll need anything before you leave.”
“No, I’ll be fine. If all goes well, I should be back in two days.”
“I’ll say good night to you, then. Stay safe in your travels.”
“I will. Good night Michael and thank you.”
*****
Lazarus wondered what he could take with him. The fairies would expect some type of payment or prize in return for a favor, if he was lucky enough to find them. He went to the caverns below the castle to the room of jewels. If he was dealing with leprechauns, the solution was easy, gold and more gold. Fairies were more in tune with nature and living things around them. Looking around the room, he spotted a star sapphire. He picked it up to examine it closely. It was a soothing, deep blue stone slightly larger than a robin’s egg, with a perfect star at its center. “Perfect,” he whispered. He placed the gem in a small velvet bag and put it in his sporran, the purse that hung from his waist.
He was just about to leave the room when a sparkle caught his eye. A tiny diamond, little more than a chip amongst the larger gems, twinkled at him. When he picked it up and examined it, he found it to be a perfect, marquise cut, yellow diamond. “Wow, whoever cut this was talented,” he said to himself. On a whim, he placed the tiny yellow diamond in his inside vest pocket and returned to the main floor of the castle.
Lazarus checked his computer one last time before shutting it down. He had one message. Dofri would arrive the next day with a truckload of household items for Mrs. Stewart. He sent him a short note apologizing he’d been gone for a couple of days and would see him when he returned. Mr. MacGregor had been instructed to help him in any way he could. All set to leave, he had one last thing to do, he promised Aria he would let her know when he was ready to go. He softly knocked on her door.
“Come in.”
He opened her door. “I promised to tell you when I was leaving.”
“Are you going now?”
“In a little while. Why?”
“I wanted to be sure you hadn’t changed your mind about me going with you.”
“As I said before, I must go alone, sorry.” Lazarus turned to leave.
“Could I see your dragon?” she blurted out.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He started again to leave.
“Please, I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
That stopped him. “Why would you have to promise? Were you planning on telling someone?”
“No. No. Not at all. It’s a figure of speech, a sort of pledge.” She let out a huff and flopped on her bed. “Oh, never mind. I know you’re suspicious of me and I can’t blame you. If you appeared out of nowhere, I would feel the same way. I wouldn’t trust you either.”
“How well did you see McDonald’s dragon?” He watched her carefully.
“I couldn’t really see him. I saw more of a silhouette just before he crashed to the ground. I was some ways away and it was only for a moment.” She didn’t look away when she spoke or act like she was making up a story.
“It is against my better judgment, but if you are going with us, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. Go to the sewing room and go out onto the battlement, I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes.” She gave him a huge smile. “One other thing. When you see me, please, do not scream. The last thing I need right now is having a bunch of people running to save a damsel in distress.”
Aria laughed, “I promise, I won’t scream.”
“Good, I’ll hold you to that.”
As soon as he left, Aria quickly looked for something warm to throw around her and headed for the third floor. She passed Erik’s room, his door was open.
“Aria,” he called out, “where are you going?”
“To the sewing room.” She kept walking.
“Aria, stop. I’ll go with you.”
“No, you can’t.”
“What. Why not?”
“Because you’re supposed to be resting.”
“I think I can walk down the hallway, it won’t kill me.”
“No, please, let me go alone.” She wanted to run away from him. She was going to miss Lazarus.
“Are you going to spy on the dragon, on Lazarus?”
<
br /> “No! He said I could come and see his dragon. Oh no. I wasn’t supposed to say anything.” She threw her hand over her mouth.
Erik laughed. “Go ahead, I’ve seen him before. Come and talk to me when you come back.”
“Thank you.” She ran back to him and kissed his cheek, then ran down the hall. Erik shook his head and watched her go. Aria ran through the sewing room and out onto the battlements. “Lazarus, are you still here?” she whispered as she looked over the turret.
“Aye, lass. Ah was aboot to leave. Ye promised ye widnae scream.”
“Yes, I promise.” She whispered. She strained her eyes trying to see into the dark. Slowly, a giant head appeared out of the darkness. A large eye, below giant sweeping horns, winked at her. Smoke seeped out his nostrils above rows of sharp teeth. Aria stood motionless. The dragon brought its nose within inches of her face and sniffed.
“Ah smell fear all over ye. Are you afeard of the dragon?”
“No. Yes. Maybe.” She shivered. She reached her hand toward his head. “May I touch you?”
“Aye.”
“Why are you talking like that?” She ran her hand over his snout. The scales were smooth and warm.
“Ah cannae tell ye now, ah have to go.”
“Thank you.” She watched as he disappeared into the darkness, then felt the air move around her as he took flight. Aria stared into the darkness, hoping to see him, but he was gone. She went inside and closed the doors.
Chapter 25
It felt good to stretch his wings. Lazarus flew high into the night. There was no moon, which made the stars look even brighter.
“God, I’ve missed this,” he thought to himself as he soared higher. He knew he had a schedule to keep and flew southward. He needed to find the fairies at Almscliff Crag. Lazarus looked below him. Northern Scotland had changed little in five hundred years, it was still a vast wilderness. He scanned the land and caught a movement near the edge of a wooded area. A stag raised its head and was about to bolt into woods, but waited a second too long. The large invisible dragon materialized an instant before it snapped the stag’s neck in its giant jaws.
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